In a statement issued late Monday afternoon, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced that the city was facing a “crisis situation” with the loss of $110 million in state funding. Last week, the city council voted to revive sanctuary city policies for illegal aliens.
The new city policy, redefining the boundaries of its police department’s interactions with federal immigration authorities, puts Houston at odds with state law.
Whitmire said on Monday that the city was notified that Gov. Greg Abbott would be “withdrawing $110 million in public safety grants” because of the new ordinance.
“This is a crisis situation. The potential loss of state funding poses real challenges for the Houston Police and Fire Departments and will impact public safety services across our city, the 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations and the Homeland Security Department,” said Whitmire. “We have significant work ahead and I’m considering all options.”
A spokesman for the governor told Texas Scorecard that cities and counties are expected to “cooperate with ICE in enforcing federal immigration laws.”
“Creative efforts by local governments to get around that obligation are unacceptable,” added Andrew Mahaleris.
The new city ordinance eliminates a previous requirement that Houston Police Department officers hold individuals for up to 30 minutes to allow federal immigration agents time to respond. Under the new policy, a routine stop ends when the original lawful reason for the stop ends.
The Houston Police Officers’ Union came out sharply against the ordinance.
Despite voting for the ordinance himself, Whitmire said on Monday that he “repeatedly warned the ordinance sponsors … about the legal and financial risks associated with this approach.”
NOTE: Since publication, this article was updated with a quote from the governor’s office.
